Perseverance
“That can’t be done.”
“It’s impossible.”
“I’m sorry, there’s nothing more we can do.”
“You’ll have to learn to live with this.”
“We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
Hopefully these words aren’t familiar to you, but they are to too many people. They’re all words of hopelessness. They’re used when people accept failure, living with limitations, or dealing with less than God has planned for them.But here are two stories of men who displayed perseverance in the face of hopelessness.
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Failure is Not an Option
Consider the story of Sean Maloney.Sean was positioned to become the next CEO at Intel when he suffered a paralyzing stroke in 2009.According to a recent article in Fortune Magazine, Intel’s Sean Maloney: The man who couldn’t speak, Sean was a workaholic, who balanced a grueling travel schedule, with the demands of his job, his wife and children (including a newborn with health problems), and his love of extreme sports, particularly racing his scull.The stroke left him unable to talk or fully utilize the right side of his limbs. He began rowing his scull again just days after leaving the hospital, though at first he simply rowed in circles because his right arm was very weak. He was determined to prove to Andy Grove and others at Intel that he could recover and resume his normal duties, and thus began the grueling process of training the right side of his brain to control his speech, normally a function of the left side of his brain.Ten months after his stroke, he returned to work, but his speech is still “slow and robotic” as if he has to think harder about each word before he speaks.
While Sean continues to work toward regaining his full capabilities, he’s probably come farther faster than people expected that he would.Before the stroke he pushed himself and others hard, and that set the pace for him to continue that after the stroke.Sean was recently appointed as chairman of Intel’s China operations.When I finished reading this article, I was most struck by his perseverance in the face of a seemingly impossible challenge.
Bravery over Safety
Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer exhibited similar perseverance when he “saved the lives of 13 U.S. troops and 23 Afgan soldiers” in 2009 in Afghanistan.USA Today reported on Medal of Honor recipient saved 36 lives during battle. He and his team went into the Ganjgal Valley to meet with leaders of the local village, and were ambushed by Taliban insurgents. Meyer and his comrade had been assigned to remain at the mouth of the valley with several vehicles. Once they saw their colleagues being attacked they defied orders and drove into the valley in a Humvee with Meyer manning a grenade launcher in the turret.Five times they drove into the valley rescuing solders, and bringing back the bodies of those who died.Later Meyer said he fully expected to die…it was only a question of when, not if. He calls this the worst day of his life, but without his act of bravery and perseverance, many more would have died.As a result, he was recently awarded a Medal of Honor by President Obama.
Never Give Up
Maloney and Meyer exhibited perseverance when all odds were against them.They were in life or death situations, and yet possessed the attitude, drive and determination to attempt what others thought was impossible.Whether they recognized it or not, God gifted them with these traits, then developed and positioned them for their defining moments.
That level of perseverance can extend to any situation that we face. When naysayers tell us that something can’t be done, we can choose to accept their words, or to redefine our own reality. Leaders have a particular responsibility in this area, because their decisions affect not only themselves, but the team of people that they lead. Teams who think that they can accomplish the seemingly impossible achieve far more than those who assess a problem and their capabilities, and determine that they can’t.
What about you? As a leader, the perseverance that you exhibit can change the lives and the future of many people around you. Had Maloney or Meyer paused to complain “why me?”, pondered their chances of succeeding, or examined their capabilities, they could have missed a valuable leadership opportunity. Instead they repeated specific behaviors over and over again until they got the result that they desired.
Perseverance is your God given combination of:
Attitude – If you think you can, then you will.
Determination – Unwavering focus on the goal.
Repetition –Repeating productive behavior over and over and over and over again.
He freely gives us these gifts to use for the benefit of ourselves, our families, our teams, and our communities. So what are you persevering to do today, and tomorrow, and the next day?What seemingly impossible feat are you attempting to accomplish? Join hands with Christ, and be all that you can become.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.Philippians 4:23 NKJV
[God]… is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to his power that is at work within us.Ephesians 3:20 NIV
Copyright 2011 Priscilla Archangel
NKJV – New King James Version
NIV – New International Version